Friday will be hot for the festival's first races -- in the mid-90s, with sunny and clear skies. Things will cool down after that. Highs are expected in the mid- to upper-80s Saturday and Sunday, with partly to mostly cloudy skies.

There is a chance of some thunderstorms starting Sunday afternoon, when the IZOD IndyCar Series Race takes to the street from 2:45-5 p.m. The National Weather Service is predicting a 30 percent chance of storms, as of Thursday.

For the end of the long weekend, more scattered storms could be in store Monday. The weather service is expecting a 40 percent chance.

Grand Prix of Baltimore organizers are hoping that an early closing time and redesigned traffic patterns will help both race attendees and Baltimore residents connect with their favorite restaurants over Labor Day weekend.